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20 Jul 2015

A simmering resistance, a building movement

What a couple of weeks it has been.
Even by Tory standards the weather of late has been very Tory. First we had the
budget
designed to make poor people poorer and rich people richer. Then we had the
attempt to repeal the fox hunting ban by the back door; fox hunting is a blood sport
which is the reserve of deranged elitists. Finally we have had the announcement
of legislation to permanently alter the way trade unions operate and set back
workers rights by around 100 years.

In addition to this George Osborne
decided to basically ignore the issue of climate change in his budget, gave greater
fiscal support oil companies and sort to incentivise ‘fracking’
whilst at the same time hampering the green energy movement by absurdly removing
the Climate Change Levy exemption from renewable electricity.

To get a flavour of what our own local
Tory is fighting for on some of the points briefly mentioned above;

In our
Stroud District - Neil Carmichael MP has voted;

against
paying higher benefits for people unable to work through illness or disability,

in favour of bedroom tax,

against benefits rising to meet cost of
living,

in
favour of a reduction in welfare spending,

against a scheme to create guaranteed
jobs for young people who been long term unemployed,

against a tax on bankers bonuses

against a mansion tax

in favour of reducing corporation tax

Neil Carmichael
MP has stated that he will vote in favour of fox hunting.

Neil
Carmichael MP has a poor voting record when it comes to the environment.

When I sit down to write these blogs
I want to be positive and constructive. But I am, like many of you I am sure, finding
it hard to be positive right now. My MP is essentially the very antithesis of
what I believe in and my government even more so.

Every morning when I come down to my
kitchen and make a cup of tea, I switch on the radio as my preferred method of
getting the news as I get my baby ready for the day or get ready for work.
Increasingly though I am finding that my finger hovers over the preset button
for Radio 4 and is tending to tap the Planet Rock preset as I say to myself ‘do
you know what? I just don’t want to know today’. Of course this could just be
that I am getting fed up with the today programme!

Progressives
must work together

Before the budget was announced I attended
a meeting
of Stroud Against the Cuts. Stroud Against the Cuts brings together
progressive groups from across Stroud and Gloucestershire who, despite whatever
other differences, are united in their opposition to austerity.

When the election result was
announced in May Caroline Lucas, Green MP for Brighton Pavillion, said the
following;

“…we must move forward
today. While the campaign for electoral reform gathers momentum, those of us wanting to see a fairer, more compassionate and
progressive politics must find new ways of working together, a new way to do
politics – and put that in to practice now”

This is the thing that gives me hope
now; the simmering resistance that is turning in to a movement. It is a
movement that questions this neoliberal
austerity ideology and outright calls for something different, something more
hopeful, something less damning.

It is no longer just a utopian
fantasy but something eminent economists such Tim Jackson have
put in to sound theory. We can create a world in which we redefine prosperity
away from our ability to consume goods and amass economic wealth. We can
redefine prosperity in terms of happiness, wellbeing and living within the
means of this planet that we call home. We don’t have another one to fall back
on after all.

The
Labour Party

Following Osborne’s despicable
budget it is time for the Labour Party to stand up and truly be the main opposition
party. Not just opposition for the sake of it no; but because the very fabric
of what makes our society great is at risk. Childhoods, retirements, working
lives, already desperate lives are at risk.

I hope that the Labour Party will
reach out and grasp the hand of Caroline Lucas, and will also stand up to the
offer put forward by the 20 year SNP MP, Mhairi Black (youngest MP in 300
years) in her, already very famous, inspirational maiden speech;

“Now, yes we will have political
differences, yes in other parliaments we may be opposing parties, but within
this chamber we are not. No matter how much I may wish it, the SNP is not the
sole opposition to this Government, but nor is the Labour party. It is together
with all the parties on these benches that we must form an opposition, and in
order to be affective we must oppose not abstain. So I reach out a genuine hand
of friendship which I can only hope will be taken. Let us come together, let us
be that opposition, let us be that signpost of a better society. Ultimately
people are needing a voice, people are needing help, let’s give them it.”

It appears now that scores of Labour
MPs are set to join Caroline Lucas in opposing
the welfare cuts proposed by the Tories. It is shame that Labour MPs have
to do this in defiance of the Labour leadership, but it their true opposition
and defence of those who need it most is very welcome all the same.

Progressives must work together,
form an opposition both locally and nationally and not allow this government to
continue to ideologically dismantle all that makes our country great. The
situation is already so very desperate and there has only been a Conservative
majority government in power for 2 months. Imagine the horror of a Tory party
unopposed for 5 years… if you dare.

"Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day I can hear her breathing."Arundhati Roy

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I note that these blogs entries may not be the views of the Green Party, but could be considered campaign material during an election. It must therefore be noted they are printed by, promoted by and on behalf of the Stroud District Green Party, 2 The Laurels, Bread Street, Ruscombe, Stroud, Gloucestershire, GL6 6EL.